The UAE's Ministry of Culture and Youth has launched an initiative to recognise and preserve the country's modern architecture. Titled Modern Architectural Heritage of the UAE, the project will shine a spotlight on some of the most significant examples of post-1960s architecture across the country.
Salem Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said the Modern Architectural Heritage of the UAE initiative would explore “various facets of urban heritage and its centrality to the UAE's national identity”.
“From the notable landmarks to the daily communal spaces that emerged from the 1960s onwards, a significant portion of our history is intertwined, continually fuelling innovative thinking and inspiring unconventional ideas in the present day,” he said.
The project aims to bring together various stakeholder groups to encourage research, documentation, conservation and preservation efforts. Coinciding with the Year of Sustainability, it pays particular attention to the ways in which these buildings can be sustainably adapted to meet contemporary environmental and social needs.
“We are rallying community members, encouraging them to foster a deep sense of pride in our nation's unique architectural identity and actively participate in preservation endeavours,” Al Qassimi said.
The ministry released a video on its Instagram account listing several of the sites, including Abu Dhabi's Bus Terminal and National Theatre; Dubai's Deira Clocktower and Dubai World Trade Centre; Sharjah's Al-Qasimiyah school and the Flying Saucer; Fujairah's Trade Centre and International Airport; Ajman's Independent Studios and Clock Square; Ras Al Khaimah's Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium and Saqr Hospital; and Umm Al Quwain's Al Arabi Cultural Sports Club.
The project's long-term aim is to enhance the UAE's position on the global architectural map and encourage a richer cultural and design-focused tourist experience.
Modern architecture
From buildings and landmarks to interior spaces and neighbourhoods, the UAE’s modern architectural aesthetics and movements can be divided into two periods.
The first began in the 1960s, when a period of growth in the UAE led to economic development in the nation’s built environment. Large-scale urban planning and infrastructure projects were the first steps to welcoming a sense of modernity and city living to the country.
As part of the second period, post-1990s urbanism was transformed by a change in the scale of structures and the use of advanced and innovative construction techniques – with a shift towards glass and aluminium cladding as materials.
These eras helped to define the language and direction of the urban landscape in the region and are a reflection of the nation’s cultural heritage and the development of its architectural identity.
The announcement follows a separate but related project, launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. The authority said it had compiled a list of 64 buildings and heritage sites in the capital in need of protection under its Modern Heritage Conservation Initiative – and that it would prioritise their rehabilitation and maintenance.
Al Qassimi said the new project “comes at a time when we have just completed a significant milestone as a nation and are setting the tone for the next 50 years towards the centennial”.
He added that it was the culmination of efforts by the Ministry of Culture and Youth and local governments to preserve the country’s built environment, which he said illustrates “innovative thinking and creativity at its best and defines our national ethos”.
Euro 2020
Group A: Italy, Switzerland, Wales, Turkey
Group B: Belgium, Russia, Denmark, Finland
Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria,
Georgia/Kosovo/Belarus/North Macedonia
Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Scotland/Israel/Norway/Serbia
Group E: Spain, Poland, Sweden,
N.Ireland/Bosnia/Slovakia/Ireland
Group F: Germany, France, Portugal,
Iceland/Romania/Bulgaria/Hungary
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
The specs
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MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
UAE%20ILT20
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The specs
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Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
